Save The Children Welcomes Announcement Of Remodelled Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches Programme

25 October 2024

Child rights organisation Save the Children has welcomed the announcement of the remodelled Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches Programme, along with the extended investment to deliver to eligible Early Childhood Centres.

The new model will continue to provide free healthy school lunches to 242,000 primary and secondary students and an additional 10,000 preschoolers.

Save the Children Advocacy Director Jacqui Southey, who was part of the Expert Advisory Group for the remodelled programme in her independent capacity, says the extension into ECEs is a welcome addition to the vital programme that improves outcomes for children, as is including children’s views.

"It is heartening to see in the new programme that hot meals continue to feature and include a favourite, Butter Chicken. It is incredibly positive that though the budget for the programme is much tighter, the new suppliers under the School Lunch Collective have committed to quality, nutritious meals that children will enjoy."

In a Save the Children survey conducted earlier this year with more than 3000 children across the country, Kiwi kids unanimously supported providing children with healthy and delicious lunches at school. In the survey, children said the programme was important to them and their friends, with some children stating that they didn’t have a lot of food at home and their lunches at school were really important to them.

Says Ms Southey: "Children are most impacted by changes to the programme so ensuring their voices were heard as part of the redesign was crucial. Continuing to consult with children on a regular basis is essential to ensure the programme works best for them."

Save the Children has long been a supporter of food in school provision, and has seen the success of similar programmes in overseas projects.

Says Ms Southey: "These insights directly align with the findings of evaluations of the Ka Ora Ka Ako programme here in Aotearoa New Zealand that show that the programme directly improves the wellbeing of children receiving the lunches, and teachers report improved concentration and positive behaviours of their students. A number of principals have credited the programme with improved attendance levels in their schools.

"Ensuring the best for children has remained at the heart of the redesign of the new model. The Government has committed to funding this programme for the next two years, providing crucial investment toward the wellbeing of children and that supports them and their whānau in this very tough economic climate.

"We call on New Zealand governments now, and in the future, to get behind this important programme and ensure that it has long term sustainable investment that will see it become permanently embedded as part of a progressive education offering delivered by New Zealand schools."

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